


No Room In Frame

by smoothiebear



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, model! tsukki, photographer! yamaguchi, someone help these two losers figure out they're in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-24 23:45:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9792371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smoothiebear/pseuds/smoothiebear
Summary: Tsukishima works as a model. Yamaguchi, a photographer, admires him through a rose-colored lens.





	1. Setting Sun

"For the last time, Kageyama, I'm not changing the focus of my exposition just because you want high quality pictures of your new pet snake. If you want them that badly just take them yourself." Tadashi says as he hangs up the call with his coworker, not bothering to hear his response.

 

"It's not like he doesn't have the talent to do it himself," Tadashi grumbles out loud to the flower arrangement on his desk while softly arranging its petals, "he just considers himself above such endeavors and he knows I...don't."

 

The flower, in lieu of response, droops back at him. Defeated, Tadashi gently pushes the arrangement to the end of the desk so he has enough room to press his forehead down onto it.

 

As much as he loved his job, he couldn't help but feel like he'd hit a rut when it came to development. His dedication to the subject helped him realize his penchant for nature photography a few years back, but it still hadn't made him a match for his coworkers' natural talent. He did make enough money to support himself and his high school friend who had also moved to Tokyo with him. However, making ends meet enough so he and Hinata wouldn't starve wasn't enough to stop Tadashi from stressing out over his career choices.

 

Tadashi rotates his head so he can stare at the corner of his room through the glass of the flower vase instead of at his floor that was in desperate need of a sweeping. He watches the distorted rays of sunshine from his window stretch across the length of the floor and graze the edges of the other arrangements shoved into the far corner of the bedroom. Squashing his cheek down onto the old wood, he closes his eyes and tries to picture his completed exposition.

 

"There has to be something else I can do." He mutters, failing to imagine anything beyond what he's looking at. "Flower arrangements just don't cut it anymore."

 

"Of course they do!"

 

Tadashi startles from his position on his desk, banging his elbow on the edge of the table as he quickly sits up.  He whips his head around to face his roommate who lingers in his doorway. Hinata, gremlin that he is, simply levels him with a grin.

 

"We need to put a bell on you." Yamaguchi says, rubbing his elbow as he reluctantly smiles back at Hinata who, in turn, sock slides his way fully into the room.

 

 "I take it your interview went well? You seem happy." Yamaguchi notes.

 

"Not really. They said I'm too small again." Hinata shrugs, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "It's okay though! I'm sure we'll both find something soon enough."

 

"Right." Tadashi sighs, stretching his elbow out and scratching the back of his head. "It's only a matter of time, isn't it?"

 

"Yep! For now I found something you might like on my way back home."

 

"Did you?" Tadashi asks.

 

He stands and grabs the flowers from off his desk. Making his way across the room, he places the arrangement carefully next to the others. Despite their bright colors, the flowers seem to dull once they're all rounded up. Tadashi stares down at the conglomeration with a half-frown on on his face.

 

"I guess anything is better than staring hopelessly at these all day."

 

"Don't be such a downer, Yams." Hinata wheedles.

 

He ambles over to where Tadashi stands near his flowers and pokes at his freckles. "Anyway, I think this place will help you with your work!"

 

"Place?"

 

"Place!"

 

Hinata whips out a brochure from his pocket and brandishes it directly under Tadashi's nose. When Tadashi fails to grab it in under two seconds, he begins to waggle it impatiently. Tadashi rolls his eyes fondly before softly snatching it from Hinata's grasp. Giving Hinata a slight push to the forehead for space, he looks down at the bright picture in his hands.

 

"A flower garden?"

 

"Uh huh! A suuuper pretty one too. It looked really nice from outside the gates."

 

Tadashi flips through the contents, noting all the variations of plants the garden cared for. Shutting the brochure, he casts a displeased look at the sad collection of arrangements that have made a home in his bedroom corner.

 

"I can't believe there was a flower garden near us this whole time."

 

Tadashi looks over at Hinata, who somehow made his way deeper into the room in the time Tadashi took to read the brochure.

 

"Really shows how much of a shut-in I've been, huh?"

 

"Kinda! But noooow-" Hinata cuts off and shoves a bag into Tadashi's hands. "You can go visit it and get inspired again."

 

Tadashi huffs out a laugh and looks down at the bag while Hinata babbles his way through a convoluted explanation of where he found the gardens. He marvels at how Hinata had managed to shove his notebook, wallet, and his camera with its case inside the bag in such a short amount of time - though, to be fair, he'd always been absurdly fast.

 

"I guess I should. I doubt taking more pictures of these is going to help at all."  Tadashi says, gesturing at his once beloved nature hoard.

 

He shakes his head before zipping the bag and swinging it onto his shoulder. "Are you joining me?"

 

"Nope! You always say I make you lose focus and we both need you at your best." Hinata replies.

 

He playfully sticks his tongue out at Tadashi before turning and padding his way out of the bedroom.

 

"Besides, I can stay here and cook!"

 

Tadashi shrugs and makes his way to the apartment entrance, slipping on his old pair of sneakers from where they lay in the messy pile of shoes that live by the door.  Grabbing his floppy sun hat from the hooks at the entrance, he looks back to Hinata puttering around in the kitchen.

 

"Are you one hundred percent sure you don't want to join me?"

 

As much as he enjoyed living with Hinata, he'd experienced the havoc his roommate wreaked in the kitchen enough times to know Hinata cooking was a bad idea

 

"Nooooo. We both know I get bored of flowers, Yams. They just...sit there."

 

With an impish grin, Hinata walks over to Tadashi and gives him a gentle nudge toward the front door.

 

"I guess if you reaaaaally feel bad you could pick up some food on the way back home." He says, giving Tadashi a few pats where his hands lay on his back.

 

Tadashi laughs and ruffles Hinata's hair, ignoring his whines of protest and batting hands. Eventually, Hinata uses his speed to duck under his hands and sock slide his way over to the couch, collapsing on it with a soft whump.

 

"Pizza it is." Tadashi nods. Hinata beams back.

 

With a final wave to the other boy, he grabs the brochure from where he'd slipped it into his pocket and makes his way outside.

 

\--

Despite the map on the brochure and Hinata's semi-coherent directions, it takes Tadashi about half an hour to reach the gardens. By then, the sun is at its apex in the sky. It gently warms the top of Tadashi's sun hat and brightens the petals of the flowers around him. Inhaling the sweet scent that permeates the air of the gardens, Tadashi pulls out his camera and flocks to the daffodils nearby hoping the bright sunlight provides the element he desires for his exposition.

 

He spends what seems like hours photographing the different flowers, slowly weaving his way through the garden hedges to reach the different flower patches. Although he feels content and in his element, his pictures tell a different story. As he sits down to review them, he can't shake the feeling of unhappiness with their composition and general appearance. He sighs softly to himself before setting his camera down on the ground next to him. Glancing up at the sky, he notes the sun has begun a slow descent into the horizon.

 

"Crap."

 

Tadashi, now pressed for time, quickly springs himself up from the ground. Dusting off the worst of the dirt from his jeans, he starts turning to pick his stuff up from the ground when the sound of a flash distracts him from his belongings. Curious, he pushes his belongings to the side of the pathway and walks around the cluster of trees, following the sound of the continuous flashing noises. At the end of the tree line, he spots two people near the rose bush - one of whom is crouched in the stance of a photographer. When he moves his eyes to the subject in question, his breath catches in his throat.

 

The model, though clearly in a pose, exudes an air of confidence and nonchalance. His tall figure and sharp features are beautiful by themselves, but the fading light of the setting sun provides him an ethereal glow that make him appear straight from a dream. Tadashi find him more eye-catching than the flourishing life that blooms behind him.

 

Careful not to disturb the scene, Tadashi slowly begins to walk away backwards, unwilling to sacrifice a single second spent taking in the model's features. He sticks close to the tree line in an attempt to avoid being spotted by two at work. He's on his fourth step back when unexpectedly he hits an upturned root. With a yelp, he feels his leg buckle and send him sprawling to the floor in a mess of flailing limbs and kicked up dirt.

 

"Fuck." He mumbles from the ground, taking a moment to wallow in his mistake. He raises his dirt-tracked arms from his sides and uses them to shield his eyes from the sunlight.

 

"Serves me right, I guess." He says after having spent several seconds just lying on his back in defeat.

 

"I'm curious to know what you did to think you deserved a fall like that one."

 

Tadashi stiffens and prays to every holy figure he knows for the voice to have come from a garden worker. Or a tree. Slowly, he lowers his arms from where they'd been shielding his face from the world and sits up. Squinting his eyes from the glare of the sun, he looks up to the figure that spoke to him. The deities did not care for his pleas.

 

"I. Uh." He says, quickly lowering his gaze back down to the dirt. He hopes the model just thinks he's sensitive to the glare of the sun and not the glare of his radiant face.

 

The model moves to shield Tadashi's face from the light but doesn't offer a verbal reply. Bracing himself, Tadashi mutters thanks and raises his head to look into the models eyes. The hastily made explanation he'd thought up in his rattled brain dies on his lips when their eyes lock and he feels the molten gold gaze sink into his soul. His gaping mouth receives nothing but a raised eyebrow.

 

"Well I'm here because I've been neglecting my exhibition. Which is next week. And none of my pictures are turning out right. So I came here for inspiration. And it didn't work." Tadashi says while avoiding further eye contact. He nervously heaves a deep breath.

 

"So now I've essentially picked myself an entire bouquet of oopsie-daisies because I only have a few days to finish shooting and pull everything together and if I don't get everything done in time to impress the bourgeoise Hinata and I will be out on streets."

 

Tadashi ends his spiel with a wince. He keeps his eyes firmly glued to the cluster of flowers directly behind the model's knee instead of looking at his face.  Midway through a plea for the earth to swallow him up, he hears a half-concealed snort from above and sees a hand appear in his line of vision.

 

"I take it you're a photographer, then." He says, gesturing for Tadashi's hand with long fingers. His eyes glint with barely concealed amusement.

 

"Yeah, sort of. I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi."

 

Tadashi wills the blush away from his face as he grips the other man's hand in his own. He gives it a short shake before using it to pull himself up. At his full height, he's surprised to note that he's only a few inches shorter than the model himself. From the ground, the model seemed to have extended into the sky and wear the sun as a crown. They spend a few seconds making eye-contact in tense silence before Tadashi collects himself enough to remember his words.

 

"And you are?" He prompts, giving the model an awkward half-smile.

 

"Right. Tsukishima Kei." The model says, shaking Tadashi's hand - which he hadn't let go of.

 

The setting sun illuminates Tsukishima's face, tinting his cheeks a slight pink and painting his hair a soft rose gold. Hand still warm in the other man's grip, Tadashi feels his heart beat a little bit faster.

 

           


	2. Static Phone

"I can never face him again." Tadashi cries, his voice muffled from where he was making a half-hearted attempt at suffocating himself with the mismatched throw pillows on their sofa.

 

Hinata, who sits in the small crevice between Tadashi and the back of couch, simply swings his legs over the small of Tadashi's back.

 

"You can and you will." Hinata responds, emphasizing each word with a gentle poke to the back of his best friend's head.

 

Tadashi lets out a small groan before turning his head to peer at Hinata with one eye. He makes sure to keep half of his face firmly buried in the shame crevice he'd created for himself in the couch.

 

"I didn't let go of his hand for a solid minute, Hinata." He reminds his roommate, repeating his tale of woe for the umpteenth time. "That places him in the 'do not seek ever again' category. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars. Do not leave the premises of this apartment."

 

Hinata gives him another poke - this time to the exposed part of his cheek - instead of a response. Tadashi turns his head back into his pillow and groans a little bit more. 

 

"I wasn't even planning on letting go either! I would have just stayed there, basking in his firm grasp if it hadn't been for his coworker ending the moment."

 

"It's not your fault you _clearly_ fell half in love with him the second you saw him, Yams. If he's as good-looking as you say he is I would have done the same thing." Hinata says, nodding decisively.

 

He wiggles around behind Tadashi before pushing himself over his best friend. Sliding onto the ground, he makes his way around the the arm of the couch and pulls Tadashi's face up from where it was firmly buried in the pillow once again. Brushing his hair from his face in an oddly caring gesture, Hinata pats at Tadashi's cheeks like he's the godfather and he's about to make Tadashi an offer he can't refuse.

 

"You got his number, Yams! That has to mean something."

 

"From his coworker, Hinata. And only because Akaashi wanted to finish his shoot before the light ran out."

 

Tadashi wallows over the way he'd embarrassed himself in front of Tsukishima's coworker, who had simply looked between the two before softly reminding Tsukishima of his shoot. He only feels worse when he recalls the way Akaashi had looked back, catching his forlorn expression. He imagines he must have been giving Tsukishima's retreating back the same look Tiny Tim would give a happy family through a window while standing outside in the cold. In what felt like pitying afterthought, Akaashi had returned to hand Tadashi a business card with Tsukishima's name and contact written in crisp lettering. Tsukishima had only glanced back briefly, cheeks pink with the hues of the setting sun, before rounding the tree line and disappearing from Tadashi's yearning view.

 

"Still counts." Hinata replies, snapping Tadashi out of his somber recollection.

 

He stretches from his crouch to snatch the business card from where it lay forgotten on their coffee table - having been placed there the previous week. Resuming his Gollum stance in front of Tadashi, he brandishes the card like a sacred object, cradled in the palms of his cupped hands. Tadashi returns his face to the dent he'd created in the fabric.

 

"You gotta call him back."

 

"I do not and I will not."

 

"Yamaguchi Tadashi, you haaaave to do this. He's from a modeling company! This could be good for the both of us." Hinata says, boring his eyes into the top of Tadashi's head.

 

"In fact," he continues, voice taking a mischievous tone, "I'm gonna call him myself."

 

The second he finishes the statement, Hinata sprints to the other side of the room - placing himself out of Tadashi's range - and hastily dials the numbers on his beat-up phone. As quickly as he can, Tadashi vaults himself over the side of the couch and begins the chase. Though longer limbed, Tadashi finds it impossible to catch Hinata, who circles around the couch with the phone pressed to his ear and his tongue stuck out at his roommate. They run around like fools in their apartment for what feels like an eternity to Tadashi before Hinata is pausing.

 

"Hi! Is this Tsukishima?" He asks into the receiver, giving Tadashi the grin of satan himself.

 

Pulling the phone away from his ear, he presses the speaker button on his phone and sits down on the couch, gesturing for Tadashi to do the same. Reluctantly, Tadashi listens. For a tense moment, the phone is silent on the other end before a voice sparks back to life.

 

"I didn't think you'd actually be calling." Tsukishima responds mildly.

 

"You sound..different," he continues, voice trailing off in what Tadashi assumes to be confusion.

 

"Right! This is Hinata Shouyo, Tadashi's roommate. I was just curious about the card that was accidentally buried under all of our mail so I decided to call the number." Hinata chirps, fixing Tadashi with a mega-watt smile.

 

With a horrified look on his face, Tadashi shakes his head frantically at Hinata, motioning for him to hang up. Hinata, predictably, pays him no mind.

 

Instead, his eyes widen with an idea before he continues, "wow! would you look at that Tadashi _just_ walked in. Great talking to you, Tsukishima!"

 

With that, he chucks the phone at Tadashi's chest and makes a break for his bedroom. Tadashi hears him cackle loudly at the end of the hall before he hears a door slam. Suppressing the urge to throw the phone and himself out the nearest window, Tadashi takes the phone off of speaker and presses it to his ear.

 

"Hello?"  He ventures, wincing at the obvious hesitation in his voice. "This is Yamaguchi."

 

"I gathered." Tsukishima replies, a smirk slightly evident in his voice.

           

Taking a moment to bury his face in the hand not holding Hinata's phone, Tadashi gathers his wits and absorbs the situation at hand.

 

"How did you know it was me calling?" He asks, noting the odd way Tsukishima had answered the call.

 

"I," he pauses. Tadashi waits. "I hadn't been expecting another call. Yours was the only unknown number I've gotten recently."

 

"Of course."

 

 _Fool that I was for having the illusion that it could have been anything else._ Tadashi thinks to himself. He steels himself to end the call and never hear from Tsukishima again. To never hear from anyone ever again. Never go out in public again. 

 

"Wel-"

 

"Would you be interested in visiting the studio some day? I heard there's a need for a photographer." Tsukishima cuts him off, his words oddly rushed. They sound out of place with his lofting tone.

 

"The studio?"

 

"Yes. The studio where I work."

 

Tadashi's brain feels mushy in his head, reeling from Tsukishima's offer. He feels his cheeks heat up at the thought of seeing Tsukishima again. Of having the chance to meet those golden eyes and feel like his heart is, simultaneously, floating in space and lodged in his throat. He must take a while to respond, because Tsukishima's detached voice pipes up again on the other end.

 

"Of course, you don't have to. It's just a suggestion."

 

"NO! I mean, yes. A visit to the studio sounds great." Tadashi amends, his heart beating at a breakneck pace.

 

From down the hall, Hinata pokes his head out of his room and fixes Tadashi with a smile as bright as the sun itself. Almost as quickly as he'd left, Hinata barrels toward Tadashi and joins him on the couch.

 

"I'll see you at the studio on tomorrow, then?" Tsukishima questions, his voice soft and bored.

 

"Ye-" Tadashi freezes, the implications of the studio visit washing over him all at once. Anguished at the prospect of making a fool of himself again, Tadashi drops his hand with the phone to his lap. He feels his eyes grow wide as he glances he back and forth from Hinata to the phone in his grip.

 

Hinata, ever the opportunist, takes his panic in stride and snatches his phone back. With a thumbs up to Tadashi, he immediately places the phone to his ear.

 

"We'll be there, Tsukishima!"

 

"I didn't-" Yamaguchi hear's Tsukishima's confused voice start to reply.

 

With a beep, Hinata hangs up the phone and tosses it onto the shame pillow at the end of the couch. With a soft whump, Tadashi slides forward and plants his face beside it.

 

Hinata jumps from his seat and lets out a cheer, patting Tadashi's the crown of Tadashi's head and squashing his cowlick.

 

"I told you things would get better!" Hinata yells, his feet thumping away from Tadashi's slumped form. Tadashi, unlike his cowlick, remains flat.

 

His only response is a scream filed away into the extensive scream collection that grew within the inner workings of their lumpy couch. However, despite the anxiety coursing through his body, the thought of seeing Tsukishima again has him hiding a soft grin in the contours of the shame couch. With butterflies in his stomach, he lets the smooth baritone of Tsukishima's invitation run through the forefront of his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh, tadashi. get ur shit together.
> 
> thank you so much for reading! new chapters go up every week on thrusday/friday 
> 
> follow me!  
> main: http://technicolortrash.tumblr.com/  
> ships: http://smoothiebear.tumblr.com/


	3. Studio Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which tadashi is a nervous wreck and tsukki is, as always, breathtaking

It takes Hinata roughly three rotations through the revolving doors before he's tumbling out with a cheer, barreling into Tasadhi.

 

"GOT IT!" He announces, voice loud with bubbling enthusiasm.

 

Tadashi -  who had simply stood inside watching his roommate run in circles like a confused puppy -  rights Hinata with an extended arm before turning them both to face the inside of the building.

 

"Stooop." He pleads, his voice barely above a whisper as he drops his trembling hand from Hinata's shoulder.

 

Hinata gives him a sheepish grin, nodding his apology. With a fond huff, Tadashi lifts his gaze from his best friend.

 

The moment he catches sight of the extravagant interior of the building, all the confidence Hinata had stuffed into him that morning seeps out along with the sweat beading at his temples. His heart beats a rapid pace, threatening to burst out of the caverns of his chest and splatter all over the pristine flooring. Tadashi wishes it would.

 

"This was a mistake. We have to go home right now, immediately." he whispers, eyes fixed on the floor tile where his innards belong.

 

Hinata, who stands soaking the scene with stars in his eyes, pays Tadashi no mind. With the feet of a traitor, he takes slow steps deeper into building. His head whips back and forth as he absorbs the high ceilings and various rooms, grin stretching wider on his face the more he sees.

 

Reluctantly, Tadashi steps further into the open space and makes his way to Hinata's side, glancing down the vast corridors to make sure no one had spotted them. Certain they've remained undetected, he extends his hand to grip Hinata's cardigan.

 

His fingers barely brush the fabric when Hinata, ever the spontaneous traitor, lets out a gasp and sprints down the hall to their left, leaving his line of sight.

 

 _I need new friends._ Tadashi thinks, forlorn stare soaking in the spot Hinata had inhabited seconds ago.

 

Torn, he spins himself around in a slow half-circle, gaze flitting from the doors that promise freedom to the hallway that holds untold secrets. And Hinata. Although, at the moment, he isn't so sure he's willing to follow his so-called best friend into the foreboding depths of the building.

 

"What's a pretty boy like you doing in a place like this?"

 

Startled, Tadashi jolts, his soul taking flight away from his squishy mortal body. In what has to be a perfect imitation of the popular gopher meme, he whips his head around, ready to face - and fight - the source of his minor heart attack.

 

"Get it? Because it's a modeling studio." The man behind him laughs, clearly proud of his own joke, while extending his hand.

 

 Still recovering, Tadashi dumbly offers his own back.

 

"Kuroo Tetsuro," The man continues, giving him a lopsided grin and a firm handshake. "And, aside from lost, you are?"

 

Tadashi huffs out a laugh at the other man's joke, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi. I came looking for Tsukishima?"

 

Like a switch had been flipped inside him, Kuroo's entire demeanor brightens. He stretches from his slouch and gives Tadashi a slow once-over with a predatory look.

 

"So _you're_ the man from the flower garden Akaashi was talking about," he drawls, eyes light with mischief.

 

Tadashi feels a blush invade his face under the scrutiny, burning hot and bright under his freckles.

 

"You sure left quite the impression on Tsukki," Kuroo mumbles as an afterthought before shaking his head. "Follow me. I can take you to him."

 

Throwing an arm around Tadashi's shoulders, Kuroo begins to lead them down a series of hallways. Tadashi's brain trips over Kuroo's statement, embarrassment flooding his veins when he remembers the way he'd made a damn fool of himself in front of Tsukishima the day they met.

 

 _I must have left such a bad impression. He saw me lying in the dirt, talking to myself like some sort of bridge troll._ Tadashi agonizes, resisting the urge to duck out from under Kuroo's arm and run as fast as his legs can carry him.

 

Distracted, he quickly finds himself hopelessly lost within the identical white walls of the building. He briefly wonders if the Minotaur experienced similar emotions before walking straight into his untimely death by beheading.

 

They eventually reach an innocuous set of doors that Kuroo pushes open with a flourish. Although he isn't met by a sword slicing him clean through, the sight that greets Tadashi might has well have detached his head from his body due to the way it renders his brain useless.

 

Inside the room, Tsukkishima lies draped sideways in a chair, exuding the powerful aura of a reluctant demigod forced to spend time amongst mortals. His hair - shining with the gleam of the studio lights - is swept back from his forehead. The slicked-back style calls attention to the dark makeup smudged around his eyes; eyes that flick over to where Tadashi and Kuroo stand, widening briefly before moving away and refocusing on the task at hand.

 

Breath hitching softly, Tadashi's eyes traverse the rest of Tsukishima's body, drinking in the soft rose-colored jacket and the white shirt underneath it that's draped low enough to reveal sharp collarbones.

 

He spends what feels like an eternity soaking in the sight of long, pale legs - accentuated by the soft denim that ends midway down his thighs. Tadashi would willingly give up everything for an eternity more spent basking in the same sight.

 

"Well dressed, isn't he?" Kuroo whispers, leaning over to speak next to Tadashi's ear.

 

Snapped out of his reverie, Tadashi's brain moves like a fast-forwarded video from where it'd been previously paused.

 

Tearing his focus away from Tsukishima's figure, he looks over at Kuroo who looks back at him with a raised eyebrow. Tadashi heats up under the attention, red standing out against the tan of his cheeks.

 

"Y-yeah. He looks. Good."

 

He turns back and watches as Tsukishima stands and stretches from his pose. Their eyes lock once more when Tsukishima furtively glances over, his eyes narrowed as his gaze shifts between Tadashi and Kuroo. Muttering a few words to his photographer, he breaks eye contact, shedding his jacket as he moves over to his stylist.

 

"The stylist designed that outfit himself, you know." Kuroo mentions, eyes focused on Tsukishima's retreating form. "Worked so hard to design a jacket that fell in just the right way."

 

 Tadashi hums in response, tearing his gaze from Tsukishima and glancing at Kuroo.

 

"Of course, it helps that Tsukki's one of our best models here." Kuroo adds, eyes soft as he looks in the direction of Tsukki and his tiny stylist.

 

Eyes flicking across Kuroo's profile, the butterflies that had been previously fluttering up a storm in Tadashi's stomach fall silent. They're replaced by hot jealously, burning its way through his intestines and crawling up his throat. Frantic, his mind clings to way Kuroo casually refers to Tsukishima as "Tsukki". The nickname spins circles in his mind before joining the butterflies in the pit of his belly.

 

"I take it you've known Tsukishima a while?" Tadashi inquires. He plasters a friendly smile on his face in an attempt to hide the goblin screaming in his brain.

 

Kuroo turns to him with a smug look in his face. The brain goblin's screaming intensifies.

 

"Yeah, I've known Tsukki since high school." He says, giving Tadashi a nudge with his shoulder. "I was actually the one get him this job in the first place."

 

"Sounds like you guys are close," Tadashi replies, stepping slightly away from Kuroo.

 

His heart beats loudly in his chest, sending blood rushing to his ears. Smile frozen on his face, he stares at a fixed point beyond Kuroo's shoulder, attempting to not drown in his own thoughts. His fuzzy brain muddles the world around him. Inhaling a quiet breath, Tadashi allows the world to broaden from the centerpoint it had become, allowing him to catch the tail end of Kuroo's rambling.

 

"- and we've been with each other ever since."

 

"You must be happy together." Tadashi breathes, feeling his hastily built facade crumple under the weight of his burgeoning disappointment.

 

Kuroo gives him a searching look. "We're a solid team."

 

"Right. A team," Tadashi echoes numbly.

 

Looking to the floor, he turns his face away from Kuroo's, unable to stop the wavering of his fragile fake- smile. Tadashi wishes he could rip off his heart from where it rests on his sleeve and leaves him vulnerable and open to the world around him. He feels as if his eyes have suddenly cleared after being subjected to a bright flash various days ago, leaving him reeling, sensitive, and all too aware of his own mediocrity.

 

Tadashi soaks in the unwanted reminder; he's just a small town photographer while Tsukishima is, apparently, a highly-requested model with a steady career.

 

 _A steady career and no reason for being interested in me -_ he thinks, fingers nervously tugging his sleeves over his hands. Lifting his eyes from where he'd been staring resolutely at his worn sneakers, Tadashi tracks the movement of Kuroo's arm out of the corner of his eyes. His head snaps up when he realizes Kuroo had been motioning to Tsukishima, who approaches them at an oddly rushed pace.

 

"Tsukki! So kind of you to join us." Kuroo drapes himself along Tsukishima's back, knocking his glasses askew when he places his chin on Tsukishima's shoulder. "I was just telling Yamaguchi here all about you."

 

"Were you?" He questions flatly, stepping out of Kuroo's gangly hold and closer to Tadashi.

 

"All good things, Tsukki," Kuroo amends, waggling his eyebrows at his counterpart. "Wouldn't want to give a bad impression."

 

With that, he shoots Tadashi a wink and saunters away from the two of them, heading toward the snack table near the dressing room.

 

 Tsukishima simply rolls eyes at Kuroo's antics; though the dismissal's effect is nulled by his ears turning a soft pink under the strands of his styled hair. 

 

"I don't think I _could_ get a bad impression of you." Tadashi blurts, transfixed by the color marking Tsukishima's otherwise pale skin. He watches the color spread to the high points of Tsukishima's cheeks before it's covered by his hand as he reaches to adjust his glasses.

 

"I'm surprised you showed up," he says mildly, hand lowering from his face and into his pocket.

 

"Well, I couldn't really pass up the learning opportunity." Tadashi explains, fingers fumbling with his sleeves.

 

"Right. Learning. Well, it's a.. good thing you didn't." Tsukishima's face scrunches slightly. "Pass up the opportunity, I mean. I wanted to see you."

 

Tadashi's wide eyes lock with Tsukishima's,lungs collapsing in his chest as he stares into the brilliant gold hues, stunning even out of the direct light.

 

"Did you?" He wavers, unable to provide enough oxygen to his overworked brain.

 

"I-" Tsukishima starts. Seemingly at a loss, he shuts his mouth and breaks eye contact with Tadashi, expression closing off into a determined look.

 

Stoically, he turns away and makes a beeline towards where Kuroo and the stylist stand near the racks of clothing, grabbing something from between them. Tadashi remains rooted to his spot on the floor. Almost as quickly as he'd departed, Tsukushima returns to Tadashi's side, brandishing his acquired object to Tadashi's eyes.

 

"I have your hat." He finishes lamely.

 

"Oh." Tadashi blinks.

 

Carefully, he reaches forward and takes the dark brim from Tsukishima's pale fingers, running his fingers over the familiar material once it's in his grip.

 

"I had simply written it off as a sacrifice to the garden gods." Tadashi jokes, giving Tsukishima a smile in thanks. His heart soars when Tsukishima's lips part on a slight huff.

 

"I don't think garden deities have much use for wide-brimmed wicker." He replies, lips twitching with barely-contained amusement.

 

"I'll have you know I only purchase hats of the highest caliber."

 

"High praise. Either way, I doubt it would have been of much use had it remained lying in the dirt."

 

"You never know, Tsukki," Tadashi grins.

 

 His eyes with realization along with Tsukishima's.

 

"Sorry! I-" He fumbles, frantically searching for an escape route. "Kuroo had been- I just assumed. Sorry. I didn't mean to call you that. I should go."

 

Head lowered, his feet carry him roughly four steps before a hand is reaching out and stopping him in his tracks.

 

"Leaving so soon, Yamaguchi?" Kuroo asks, grip tight on Tadashi's forearm. "I thought you came for the learning experience?"

 

Tadashi turns to look at Kuroo, who stares back impassively.

 

"I wouldn't want to impose." He ventures, anxious. He hadn't even noticed Kuroo returning, having been so caught up in Tsukishima's reactions. Tadashi hopes the blush on his face doesn't give him away.

 

"Not at all!" Kuroo reaches behind himself and grips Tsukishima's forearm with frightening precision in his other hand. "In fact, why doesn't Tsukki give you a tour."

 

"A tour?"

 

“Yeah! A tour, Yamaguchi. I would show you around myself but it seems I’ve been called to a shoot in half an hour. Either way, I’m sure Tsukishima’s tour will be a lot more..thorough.”

 

Tadashi's eyes search Kuroo's grinning face, confused as to why he's so willing to send his partner with someone else. Tadashi's certain he would cling to Tsukishima's leg at all times if he'd been granted Kuroo's status.

 

"I'm sure Tsukki won't mind. Will you, Tsukki?" Kuroo inquires, head lolling back to face the man in question.

 

Tsukishima shakes his head mutely. Satisfied, Kuroo pushes the two out of the studio and into the brightly lit hallway.

 

"Great! Akaashi says he should be ready to continue in about two hours so feel free to take your time," Kuroo says, giving both of them a pat on the head before shutting the studio door with a _click_.

 

Dumbly, Tadashi turns to face Tsukishima who stares at the door silently before sighing and running his hand through his now disheveled hair.

 

"Should we get going, then?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohoho? 
> 
> Thanks for reading this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing the character interactions. Stay tuned for more next week!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr!  
> http://smoothiebear.tumblr.com/


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